Pokemon 2006: Silver and the Chosen One
by ZachaRicO
Summary: Desperate to restore harmony to his ravaged home in the future, Silver the Hedgehog takes up an offer from a mysterious figure by the name of Mephiles, who claims the only way to fix the future is to kill a certain blue hedgehog. But something is wrong with this picture, and the truth of what he's searching for may just turn Silver's world upside down. Sonic 06 Pokemon Crossover.
1. Chapter 1

**I'm a little reluctant to finish Sonic's story right now, not so much because of writer's block or anything like that, but because it might give some stuff away that I don't want to give away just yet. That being said, here's the beginning of Silver's Story, which I don't have an official title for yet.**

**KHSonicFan29 hit the nail on the head when they suggested that I was splitting the three main characters' stories, and so here we go!**

* * *

><p>Chapter 1: The Titans' Wrath<p>

This is my home.

Yes, it really is a sight to behold. Buildings bent over, shattered and burned. The streets below, once regarded as the ground, are no longer habitable. That's why I spend my days on the buildings and highways.

How did this come to be, you may ask? What caused the destruction of this world? Who is responsible? There are only three names that can possibly explain this:

Articuno.

Zapdos.

And Moltres.

The three titans of the air ran – or should I say _flew_ – amok more than 200 years ago. The balance of power was upset and, as it should be, the great guardian of the seas rose to quell their fighting. But it was too late. Many people died in the ensuing chaos that engulfed the world, leaving few humans to remain. Even now, they huddle in fear in a secluded area of this world, barely surviving and not at all thriving.

But I have not given up. I have fought against these titans with everything I have, defeating them time and time again, and time and time again they have risen again. So they shall continue to do so, but I will not give up: never. This world needs a protector, and so I shall be, as no one else will rise to meet the challenge.

I am Silver: Silver the Hedgehog.

"Silver!"

I started on hearing that voice. It meant trouble, and that's never a good thing around here, as we only get three kinds of trouble: fire, ice, and lightning. The voice's owner is my sole companion in this fight. She's a mysterious one: from her blue hair to her unknown origins. She's not like the others. Not only does she fight by my side, but she almost seems to come from another world entirely. I can't really explain it, but I'll take any ally I can get.

"What is it, Dawn? Are they back?"

"They're on the other side of Goldenrod!" she exclaimed. I nodded and, with a mere force of will, shot through the sky in a green blur, my telekinetic powers enabling me to fly.

* * *

><p>Goldenrod City was once a thriving metropolis, but when the three titans of the air were unleashed, it was decimated beyond repair. Dawn couldn't exactly remember why, but something about this town rang for her, as though she'd been here before. It didn't feel like home, but yet…<p>

It didn't matter to me. We had to stop those birds before they could make things any worse.

Sure enough, Articuno, Zapdos, and Moltres were duking it out in the sky, destruction running amok.

"You ready?" I asked her.

"Ready as I'll ever be," she nodded, pulling out a Pokeball. "Let's go, Piplup!" The ball opened, and a small, blue, penguin-like Pokemon jumped out, eagerly chiming its name. "Use Bubblebeam!" Piplup eagerly obeyed, shooting a stream of bubbles at the fighting birds. Though it seemed to be little more than nuisance to all but Moltres, it was enough to get all three birds' attention.

"Why do you always start with that?" I asked her in exasperation.

"Well, someone has to get their attention," she shrugged. I just rolled my eyes and waited for Moltres to attack in rage. When it threw a Fire Spin attack at us, I used a telekinetic blast to neutralize it, then began throwing rocks at the bird. Thanks to its dual weakness, it was hurting badly, and it soon fell to the ground way below.

"Quilava!" she called out, throwing another ball. "Use Flamethrower on Articuno!" Her fiery Pokemon obliged, burning the titan of ice, and it fell to the ground. I decided to finish the job by using the equivalent of a Psychic attack on Zapdos, effectively racking its brains to the point where it couldn't function anymore. The titans had fallen once again.

"Nice work, you two," Dawn nodded, recalling her Pokemon. Her face fell. "You'll need all the rest you can get for the next round."

I clenched my fists. "They're only gonna come back stronger," I growled. "And we'll just have to beat them again."

Dawn sighed sadly. "I'm sure there's a way to defeat them for good. I just wish we knew what it was."

I angrily slammed my fist against a wall. "What's the point?! We keep fighting and fighting, but we get nowhere! These titans will only wear us down bit by bit until there's nothing left!"

"Easy, Silver!" she held her arms out. "Things could be worse. We could be fighting some massive fire demon from a terrible video game instead."

"You're missing the point!" I cried, exasperated. "We can't keep going on like this! We have to stop those birds once and for all, but _how_?!"

It was a rhetorical question. I didn't expect to get an answer, so my surprise when I heard a voice speak from behind me was not small in the slightest.

"By knowing the truth, of course."

"Huh?!"

We both looked up and saw a mysterious figure looking down on us from a small pillar. His face was largely hidden behind a hat, and he dressed in a black suit with a dark cape behind him. "What?" he smirked. "Have you never heard that truth will set you free? It will set this world free as well, but there are prophecies more relevant than that."

"What are you talking about?" I asked, puzzled. Dawn shifted uneasily.

"This madness that has taken over your world did not simply appear. No, just as a berry tree grows from a berry seed, and a Pichu from an egg, _everything_ has an origin."

"_Raichu!_" a Pokemon by his side sneered, sparks on its cheeks.

"Do you know who did this?" I asked. I didn't care who this stranger was. I wanted answers, and I wanted them now. If he had anything, I would take it.

* * *

><p><strong>That's right! I'm actually writing this in the first person! I wanted to try something new with this, and I figured making Silver's story go first-person was a good way to add variety to the whole of this story. What did you think? Feel free to rate and review!<strong>


	2. Chapter 2

**Well, that didn't take long to get a legit title. Heck, it's the same one as the prototype!**

**Whatever. Anyways, here's the next chapter!**

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><p>Chapter 2: Green Grass and a Blue Hedgehog<p>

"What is this place?" I wondered as our companion, Mephiles, brought us to what appeared to be a computer room.

"This is the old database of the Indigo Plateau in Kanto," Mephiles explained. "Much information has been stored away here, including the events that began the destruction of your world."

I perked on hearing that. "What happened?"

"The world began falling apart about two-hundred years ago. After the deaths of a certain Dr. Ivo 'Eggman' Robotnik and Misty of Cerulean City, the one responsible for all this took the liberty to disrupt the harmony of nature."

I didn't understand. "But why would they do that?"

"It makes no matter," Mephiles shook his head. "All that matters is that you find the one who did this and stop them, right?" I nodded. He did have a point. "Allow me to show him to you."

With that, blue energy glowed on his hands, and an image was generated in my mind. I closed my eyes, focusing on it, and my eyes opened.

"So that's the one we need to find?" I asked. Mephiles nodded.

"Who was it?" Dawn asked.

I looked at her, new determination in my own eyes. "A blue hedgehog."

"Blue hedgehog?"

"Yes," Mephiles nodded. "Much like your hair is blue, so is he." There seemed to be disgust laced in his voice, but I figured I was just hearing things.

"Then how can we stop him?" I asked.

Mephiles merely smiled a strange smile. "Allow me to assist you. You see, my friend, I have the power to travel through time."

I was stunned. "No way!"

He nodded, his smile not fading. "Come. I shall bring you to the time when the Disturbance still lived, that you may find him...and stop him." I eagerly stepped forward. Dawn started to come forward, too, but Mephiles stopped her. "Let your friend do this. No use putting yourself in danger."

"I'm not letting him go on his own," she retorted.

"This is his mission."

"This is _our_ mission," she snapped back. "Silver's not going anywhere without me, especially if he's going through time."

I looked at Mephiles and nodded. "She's coming with me."

Mephiles growled, seemingly disgusted. I didn't understand why. "Very well. Close your eyes, and I will take you to the past."

* * *

><p>When I opened my eyes, the first thing I noticed was that I was alone. Mephiles and Dawn were not with me.<p>

"I guess we all got separated," I thought. "Hm. I'll have to catch up with Dawn later." That said, I took in my surroundings, awed by what I saw. Gone was the desolation that plagued my world, turning it into a ruin. The sky here was blue instead of black, and the twittering of tiny birds brought a smile to my face. I took a step forward, startled by a rustling at my feet. I looked down and saw that the ground beneath me was covered with paper-thin, tiny green sheets. Curious, I bent down and plucked one of them out of the ground.

"What is this?" I wondered aloud, in absolute amazement. "I've never seen anything like it!" I stowed it away for later, barely containing my joy. Everything here looked so alive, so peaceful, so harmonized! Such beauty! Such as had never been seen in my home.

_Home._ I started when that crossed my mind and I remembered my mission. "But where do I start?" I wondered. "The Disturbance is alive to be sure, but where is he? Am I even in the right location?" I didn't bother concerning myself with these questions for too long. I was determined to find my target and save the future.

I overheard some people talking behind me and, curious as to what they were talking about, I walked in to listen. They talked at length about some event.

"What's going on?" I asked.

They started on seeing me. "You eavesdropper!" they shouted, and then ran off.

"Eavesdropper?" I wondered in confusion. "Sheesh, ask a simple question and get a complex answer." That was when a strange structure caught my eye: it was seemingly made of metal, but it was aligned so well that I knew it couldn't be. Metal was always bent. It –

"No, wait," I thought again, "this is the past. Whatever this is, it must be undamaged." I looked it over again, marvelling at its pristine beauty. "Wow...who would have thought metal could be so beautiful?" I then frowned at the markings. "But what do these mean? I've seen them before, but I've never taken the time to look them over."

"Oh!" a feminine voice exclaimed. "You can't read?"

I started. "Dawn?! Oh…"

To my disappointment, it was just another person. "What? Did I startle you?"

"Uh, yeah...sorry, I just thought you were someone else." I turned back to the sign. "What do these markings mean?"

She raised an eyebrow, surprised. "You mean these words?"

"Uh, yeah," I shrugged. _Is that what they are?_

She moved her hand across the words as she interpreted them to me: "Cerulean City: Head up to Cerulean Cape for the annual Water Festival tonight!"

"Water Festival?" I wondered. _What's a festival?_

"Yeah! Fun stuff, right? You should come! My sister's actually hosting it."

"Really?" I was becoming enamored with this, but I shook my delight away. "I'm sorry, but I have other matters to attend to."

"Oh," she looked disappointed. "Okay, but if you change your mind, just head north and then east of town!"

"Thanks," I shrugged. _Not exactly helpful._

* * *

><p>The rest of the day didn't go much better than that first encounter did. At best, I was able to discern that I was in a town called Cerulean City, but that's pretty much it. Frustrated that I came up short on my search for the Disturbance, I decided I should take a break and spend the night at the festival after all. It would do me well to calm my nerves; no need to worry, as Dawn would say.<p>

_Dawn_. I wonder where she is right now. I'm sure she's fine. She's always been more self-sufficient than me.

The festival was bustling with people as missiles soared into the sky, exploding when they reached a certain height. The people didn't seem frightened by these missiles in the slightest, so I figured this was some form of entertainment from the past that I wasn't able to enjoy. Needless to say, the noise bothered my ears, so I concealed myself in a quieter place, also hoping to avoid any social interaction. I wanted my mission to be secret. Who knew who I could run into?

No sooner had I done this than an odd sound reverberated through the crowd, and they all stood to attention. I watched as a young woman stepped forward, donning a red dress with matching hair that reached halfway down her back. An elderly man stood before her as she strode forth, handing her a small, blue ball that she took and readied to place on a pedestal. At that moment, however, she suddenly stumbled as though she tripped. A gasp reverberated through the crowd. My instinct said to rush up to check on her, but I stopped myself for fear of discovery...or worse.

The man helped her back up, and everything looked to be just fine. She placed the ball on the pedestal, and it suddenly started glowing, bright beams of light shooting forth from it. I looked into the air, amazed at what I saw: a beautiful arrangement of color.

"Unbelievable," I breathed in amazement. "I've never seen anything so beautiful in all my life." (Well, technically, the titans were beautiful creatures in and of themselves, but I was always locked in combat with them, so I never took the time to appreciate their beauty) The crowd roared in approval, while the woman turned around and waved.

Suddenly, an explosion erupted in the middle of the crowd, and they all started to panic, running around looking for cover. Darkness fell over us...the darkness of the future...and a legion of robots descended, surrounding the scared woman. One young man tried to reach her, but to no avail, as the robots pushed him away. Then a small, one-man vehicle dropped from the sky, a rather overweight man in a red suit controlling it.

"Greetings, Misty, Gym Leader of Cerulean City," he said. "I understand that we have met before, but never formally. Therefore, allow me to introduce myself." He bowed down, a funny pose in my opinion. "I am Dr. Ivo Robotnik, but you may call me Dr. Eggman, if you wish." He stood up straight. "And now that formalities are out of the way, I shall get what I came for."

"What do you want?" the woman retorted.

The man in the ship merely snickered. "You have something that I've been searching for ever since I came to this world, and now I shall have it: the silver wing! Hand it over, and your people will be spared. Don't make this harder than it needs to be." I shivered. Something about this man rubbed me the wrong way.

"Don't do it!" the young man trying to reach her shouted. "You know it won't go over well!"

"I know," she replied, then turned back to the man in the ship. "What do you plan to do with it?"  
>"What do <em>you<em> think?" he sneered menacingly, but his breath quickly got sucked out of him as a sudden swirling wind picked up speed, surrounding him and the robots with him. "Nngh! What's this –?!"

"You're putting on quite the show, aren't you, Eggman? Well I hate to break it to ya, but this is Misty's night tonight! No upstaging allowed!" I looked up in astonishment. _Who is –_

Then I froze. _YOU_ I thought, clenching my fists and teeth.

My eyes had locked on to a blue hedgehog.

The madness that ensued from the hedgehog's entrance was lost on me, as my mind was occupied with one thing, and one thing only. I waited for the crowd to leave, but my eyes never let the blue hedgehog escape their sight. I could hardly believe my luck, but now was no time to wonder. My sights were set, and nothing would stand in my way.

As I watched him run from the festival, I clenched my fist and nodded. "I've finally found him...The Disturbance."

* * *

><p><strong>Silver might seem a bit OOC here, but think about it: he's young, naive, and has spent his whole life fighting in a bleak future where all he sees is darkness, destruction, and death. He then goes back in time to a world that is beautiful. I think he would be in amazement at it. They did try to show that in the game, but like just about everything in the game, they screwed up. Anyways, I hope you're enjoying this! Feel free to rate and review!<strong>


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3: Cerulean Faceoff

I followed the Disturbance from a distance, eagerly waiting for an opportunity to strike. When he finally stopped, a small batch of those robots dropped down and surrounded him and his friends. He beat them to a pulp, but not before the man called Dr. Eggman succeeded in kidnapping the girl. I wanted to save her, but I knew I had to finish my mission. As I thought over this, I suddenly noticed something:

The blue hedgehog was alone!

"Got you now, Disturbance," I nodded as I jumped out of hiding. I hardly walked two steps when I was thrown to the ground by someone running.

"Guh!" I grunted.

"Sorry!" the person's voice came. "Gotta run!"

"Ugh...lousy little –"

I froze, mortified at what I saw: the Disturbance had escaped!

"Love of Iblis!" I cursed. "I had him right where I wanted him!" I clenched my fists. "But I _will_ find him and finish what I've started. Say your prayers..._blue hedgehog_."

* * *

><p>I hung around town for the next few days, simply searching for any potential leads on the Disturbance's whereabouts. I also hoped to find Dawn. I wasn't sure where she was, and it had been some time since we were last together. Plus I always felt more secure when I was with her.<p>

No, I'm not attracted to her. What, is this Sonic Next-Gen?!

Finally, after a few days passed, I spotted him again, along with the girl who got kidnapped by that Eggman figure. They regrouped right outside town for a bit, engaging in conversation. I didn't hear what they said, but they looked to be happy. A Butterfree even landed on his nose, causing them to laugh.

_He seems to have a good heart_ I thought. _Why would he destroy the world?_ I blinked and shook it off. _No time to think about it. The future needs my help._ With that, I hid within the town and waited to make my move.

Once they started walking into town, I charged a small, telekinetic blast and fired. I wanted to snipe him, but I missed; badly.

What was it that Dawn said about working on my aim again? Ugh.

Seeing no point in hiding now, I stepped out, hands blazing. "I've been looking for you." They looked up in response, now aware of my presence. "You're the Disturbance that will upset all harmony. Your actions will condemn us all!"

"What?!" the blue hedgehog exclaimed. "What are you talking about? Who the heck are you?!"

I cracked my knuckles as I stared him down. "My name is Silver! For the sake of the future and for all people, I will destroy you!"

Almost instantly, he looked to be ready for a fight. "Misty, stand back," he said to the girl. She nodded and hid out of sight, while he turned to face me. "I don't know what you want," he snapped, "but I don't think you'd be willing to discuss it over a chili dog."

_You think you're funny, don't you?!_ I thought angrily. "Oho, a wisecracker, huh?" I growled. "We'll see who's laughing when I'm done with you!" With that, I lifted a small chair with my telekinetic power, apparently catching the Disturbance off-guard.

"What –?!" he gasped.

"Take this!" I shouted, throwing it at him. The chair scored a direct hit, knocking him over. He shook his head and jumped back up. I lifted another chair and would have knocked him out if he didn't ram into me. I grunted in pain when my face hit the pavement, but I wasn't about to give up; not now, when I was so close to saving the future! I jumped back up and glared at the Disturbance. He ran at me again, but when he got close enough, I stopped him by freezing him with telekinesis.

"Did you really think it would be that easy?!" I growled.

"Uh-oh," was all he said.

With a cry of victory, I threw him into a building. The impact clearly took its toll on him, but he still managed to get up quickly and ready himself for another attack. My patience was running out, so I leapt at him, but he dashed away. I grunted angrily. "You can run, but you can't hide!"

"Hiding wasn't the plan!" he called back, grinning.

I was livid. "You think this is a game?!" I roared in rage. "All right, but _you're_ the one who's gonna lose!" Summoning all my power, I lifted a table. "How about _this_?!"

I fell right into his trap. While I concentrated all my energy on lifting the heavy table, he ran at me and threw me to the ground. Losing focus, the table escaped my power and fell down right on top of me. I grunted in agony as it slammed me over the skull.

"Ha! How's _that_ for a good move, huh?" the Disturbance mocked as he stood over me while I stood up. I panted a moment, struggling from the pain, not paying any heed to him.

"Hey, you okay?"

I looked up in surprise. Was he worried about me? Well that was stupid. Here I am trying to kill him to save the future, and he's worried that I got hurt.

"Listen," he continued, "I don't know what's going on, but –"

I didn't want to hear it. Summoning my power again, I thrust my palms out in front of me. The blue hedgehog glowed again as I threw him backwards and into another building. He fell to the ground, now clearly struggling.

"Good grief!" he grunted, struggling to get on his hands and knees. "What are you trying to do, throw me to the moon or something?!"

I walked over to him in disbelief. "Is this some kind of sick joke?" I shook my head. "How can someone as weak as you cause the destruction of the world?"

"Wha...What do you mean?"

"It doesn't matter," I snapped. "As long as you live, the future is in peril. I will not let you destroy my world!" With that, I prepared to finish him off.

"STARYU, GO! USE BUBBLEBEAM!"

"What?!" I cried as I suddenly a flurry of hard-hitting bubbles knocking me down. I wasn't necessarily hurt, but the blow caught me off-guard. "What is this?!"

"Stay away from him!"

When the bubbles ceased, I leapt back up to see who had attacked me. To my chagrin, it was the girl the Disturbance was with, along with a Pokemon.

"Get out of my way," I snapped. "The Disturbance must die."

"You're not getting anywhere near him, you creep," she growled back.

"Then I guess we'll do this the hard way," I clenched my fists, then blasted the Pokemon back into its trainer. She grunted in pain as they fell to the ground. With them out of the way, I once again turned my focus back to the Disturbance as he struggled to his feet. "Now, where were we?" I taunted him. "Oh, that's right...saving the world from _you!_" I would have finished him off then and there, but another blast of water knocked him over. I was outraged. "How –?!"

"I told you to stay away from him!" the girl shouted as another one of her Pokemon sprayed me down. Angered, I neutralized the water gun attack with my power and hurled her Pokemon onto her. Yet again, I turned back towards the blue hedgehog, who suddenly perked, running after something.

"Don't you turn your back on me!" I roared, freezing him in place with my power. Finally, I had him right where I wanted him, and _nothing_ was going to stop me! "It's time I finally put an end to this!"

"ONIX! USE IRON TAIL!"

The next thing I knew, a slam to the face threw me down once again, freeing the Disturbance to escape. When I stood up again, he was long gone.

"NO!" I shouted in fury, pounding the ground. "Love! Of! Iblis! Who –?!"

"Hold it right there!"

I turned on hearing the voice and saw a tan man standing before me, a rock-snake Pokemon by his side. "Stay out of my way," I snapped.

"You were trying to kill Sonic!" the man replied. "What the heck were you thinking?!"

_He doesn't know? Hmph...that makes sense, I guess._ "His actions will destroy the world," I explained. "The only way to save the world is to destroy him."

The man shook his head. "You've got it wrong," he said. "Sonic is a hero, always fighting for what's good. I can't bring myself to believe he would destroy the world. I don't know where you're getting these ideas, but you shouldn't jump to conclusions so quickly." With that, he recalled his Pokemon and departed.

Now I was confused. I recalled my thoughts earlier when I saw the Disturbance talking with that girl and how they seemed so happy. Now this young man's words rang in my head. My goals remained unchanged for the moment, but something was bothering me now. Looking back, I realize now what it was.

It was my conscience.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4: Confusion

I spent the rest of that morning sitting by the lake, pondering what I had seen and heard. The blue liquid in front of me glowed brightly, sparkling under the daylight. I wasn't sure what it was: it was so blue and beautiful. And that blindingly bright circle in the sky: what was that? I had so many questions that I worried I might never find answers to. After all, where could I go?

"There you are."

I started on hearing the voice, but I remained calm, smiling slightly. "Dawn."

The bluenette came and sat beside me, still smiling. "I've been looking all over for you."

"Same here," I replied.

"So, did you have any luck?" she asked. I proceeded to recall the events of the morning to her. She looked surprised by what I said. "So you found him?"

"Yes," I nodded. "But he got away." I clenched my fist in anger. "I was so close, darn it!"

"Easy, Silver," she put a reassuring hand on my shoulder. "It's just a minor setback." When I calmed down, she continued, "So, why are you out here when you have a mission to complete?" I could tell she was slightly teasing me.

"I was just thinking," I sighed. "Is it really okay to kill someone just because they're going to destroy the future? I don't think I could enjoy killing someone."

"No kidding," Dawn nodded. "I don't know what it is, but something about that blue hedgehog seemed familiar to me. I feel like I've seen him before."

I tapped my fingers together, trying to figure out what to do. Then a thought struck me.

"What about that Eggman person? Do you think he might have a lead for us?"

Dawn shivered slightly at that. "I don't know, Silver. He doesn't look too friendly, and I don't think he can be trusted."

"I wasn't suggesting trusting him," I replied. "I just think maybe we could salvage some information from him. After all, the Disturbance seems to have enmity with him"

She nodded. "Then let's go find him."

* * *

><p>Eggman was currently hiding out in a battleship, apparently determined to return to some sort of base. Getting through the security was no trouble; certainly nothing of the likes of what Dawn and I had been through in our time.<p>

I still find it hard to believe that stuff like this existed so long ago. This ship was massive, and its intricacies were incredibly detailed. How did they do this? Would restoring the future allow us to create similar vehicles?

I wasn't interested in finding out the answers to those questions. Not yet. I had to figure out what to do, and I had to figure it out soon.

We managed to find out way to a vault of sorts, in which we found a wealth of information, along with a mysterious red orb. I don't know if it was just me, but there seemed to be a small flame inside it.

"What is this?" I wondered. It looked almost ethereal.

"Could this be...the Fire Orb?" Dawn wondered as she held it.

"The what?"

"The Fire Orb. It's one of three treasures used in an annual ritual commemorating the coming of the Chosen One."

"The who?"

"The Chosen One: the subject of an ancient prophecy about the end of the world." She looked into his eyes seriously. "Perhaps that prophecy could help us figure out how that blue hedgehog is responsible for the destruction of our world."

"Hm," I mused. "Maybe. But where would we find it?"

"I don't know," she shook her head. "But I don't think we have time to find out. Let's keep this on hand, just in case it comes in handy."

I nodded, and we looked over the information we had on hand, only to come up empty-handed. We stole out of the battleship and assessed our situation.

"I guess we hit a dead-end," Dawn sighed.

"Love of Iblis," I cursed under my breath. "We can't keep looking for dead-ends. There's only one path that will lead to results, and I intend to follow it." With new resolve in my eyes, I started back for Cerulean City, Dawn right behind me.

* * *

><p>When we arrived, we were surprised to find Mephiles there, his back turned to us. I looked at Dawn a moment, and she nodded. Then I stepped forward.<p>

"Mephiles," I began. Maybe it was just my imagination, but he seemed to tense up when I spoke. He turned around, his face still obscured by his hat. "Who is the Disturbance? Why does he want to destroy the world?"

Mephiles merely stood there, apparently not registering my question.

"Mephiles," I repeated, more straightforward this time. "Who is he? Please. I want to know."

I'm not sure why, but he looked uncomfortable as he huffed. Finally, he spoke:

"Why does it matter to you?"

"Well, it's just –"

"Unless you complete your task," he interrupted me, "unless you finish him off, then your world will never change..._ever_."

Those last words rang with some kind of disgust that made me shudder. That was when a thought struck me, one that probably should have come to me a lot sooner...or later. Wait, what?

This game is confusing.

Why was Mephiles helping us in the first place? Why did he want us to kill the Disturbance? Was there an ulterior motive that he wasn't sharing with us?

"The Magnet Train is running out of control," Mephiles stopped my train of thought. "He's over there. This may be your last chance to do this." When I blinked again, he was gone.

_Maybe I can't trust him_ I nodded, clenching my fist. _But he's the only lead I've got right now._ With that, I headed for the Magnet Train which I quickly found out was only slightly south of here.

"You're not getting away this time, Disturbance," I growled. "This time, you're mine."


	5. Chapter 5

**Now this story gets interesting.**

* * *

><p>Chapter 5: Confronting the Shadows<p>

The Magnet Train, as it turned out, was actually running just fine when we arrived in Saffron City. It was just taking off. Dawn managed to sneak on board, while I hid at the very back. Then we waited to make our move, and for a while, nothing out of the ordinary happened. Then suddenly, the train sped up dangerously, knocking me off. I leapt back up and shot after it with my flight power, quickly catching up just in time to see a blue blur race by.

"Got you now, Disturbance," I nodded, keeping my focus on the train. I didn't want to lose Dawn again, so I wanted to stop the train. But before I got a chance to act, the train stopped on its own. The Disturbance stopped it, and then took off, much to my chagrin. I called for Dawn to follow, but she proved a no-show. For a moment, I was torn. Should I follow the path the Disturbance fled on, or wait for Dawn? We'd already gotten separated once, but if we didn't do something, we wouldn't have a future to go back to. Grinding my teeth, I ultimately decided to pursue the Disturbance.

As I followed the path, I wondered about that thing called a train. It was another marvelous form of transportation that I had never seen before, but if Eggman could so easily manipulate it to his own whims, how could it be trusted?

I continued searching my surroundings, desperately seeking out the Disturbance. After a moment, I heard a familiar voice. Turning sharply, I saw him running with that girl again. He looked urgent, and didn't seem to notice me.

_Perfect_ I nodded. I closed my fists tightly, green energy surrounding them, and slammed them on the ground. The two of them lurched forward and hit the ground.

"Ouch!" he exclaimed. "What –"

"This time, there will be no interruptions!" I shouted in determination.

He looked up and his eyes widened when he saw me. "Oh no...not you again! Look, I'd love to stay and chat, but I don't have time. The world's in jeopardy, and I'm trying to –"

"Silence!" I shouted, not having any of it. "I don't have the patience to deal with your jokes right now. The Disturbance must die!" With that, I threw him to the ground, placing him right where I needed him so I could finish him off.

"Ungh!" He grunted. He laid there a moment as I braced myself, then he perked suddenly. "No, stop!" After a moment, he suddenly tried to run away, but I foiled him again.

"It's no use!" I shouted triumphantly. "You're mine!" With that, I continued charging my ultimate psychic blast. He squeezed his eyes shut, apparently seeing no way out. _At long last_ I thought. _It's over. It's finally –_

"THUNDERBOLT, NOW!"

What happened next shocked me (no pun intended). Instead of finishing off the Disturbance, a powerful electric current coursed through my body, releasing his grip. We both got up, but what I saw next shocked me again (no pun implemented) "What the – Mephiles!? Why are you getting in my way?!" _So maybe I was right about him after all_ I thought as I stared at the hidden figure before me. "I thought that you –"

"Who are you calling _Mephiles_, you creep?!" the figure stood up. My eyes widened in astonishment. That wasn't Mephiles' voice! I didn't understand what was going on, but the blue hedgehog did, apparently.

"Baseball Head?!"

The figure turned around and addressed him. "You do what you have to do," he said. "I'll take care of this." The Disturbance gave a thumbs-up and took off.

"NO!" I shouted in rage, throwing a telekinetic blast at him, but a blue blast of energy from my new foe neutralized it. I turned towards him in shock. "You...who are you?!"

He looked me in the eyes, a grin on his face. "My name is Ash," he replied. "Ash Ketchum!"

"_Pi-Pikachu!_" his companion Pokemon grinned, sparks on its cheeks.

I wasted no time. Using my power, I lifted his Pokemon off the ground and threw him into his master, knocking them both to the ground. They leapt back up, and I picked up some boxes with my power to throw at them. Taking advantage of this, he threw a blue ball of energy at me, stunning me enough to let the boxes go. Then he followed up by punching me to the ground. I recovered in time to prevent another punch and threw him back with my power. Still strong, he jumped up and sent his Pokemon at me with a powerful electric attack. I deflected it and blasted them with a powerful, telekinetic blast. They didn't look too good this time around, but they still had some fight in them. I decided to spare them the trouble and finish them off with another powerful blast, but before I could do anything, I saw the Pokemon rushing at me again. I got ready to throw him back, but he suddenly consumed himself in electricity. Shocked by this and unable to deflect it all, I felt myself get thrown violently to the ground, bouncing a couple times before I slid to a stop. I was weary, but I couldn't give up. Not now. I slowly got to my hands and knees, then onto my feet, leaning on one knee while panting. Apparently, my foe was also weary, as he and his Pokemon were panting as well.

Summoning every ounce of strength I had left, I raised my fist and a battle cry, and charged at him. He saw this and looked alarmed.

"Now, Shadow!" he cried.

Suddenly, I felt something slam the back of my head, knocking me to the ground while I winced in agony. Groaning, I stood once again and looked behind me to see someone who looked a lot like the Disturbance. Still, he was easily distinguishable, as his fur was black and red, and his voice was much deeper.

I'm not color-blind. Or stupid.

"Where did you –"

"Shut it," the black hedgehog snapped. "You're not going anywhere." He held a glowing gem. "As long as I have the Chaos Emerald, you can't break free."

I leaned on my knee in despair once again, but when I felt the green sheets beneath me, my resolve returned. "No," I shook my head. "I won't give up. Everyone's depending on me! I can't lose...not when I'm so close!" I charged another blast and fired it at him. He deflected it, but it was only a diversion so I could slam him down. Unfortunately, his friend saw through my strategy and raced to stop me.

"Chaos…" he cried.

"Chaos…" the hedgehog cried as well when he saw what I was doing.

"CONTROL!" they finished. A blast of power threw us all back, as a small glow appeared in the middle of us, slowly growing more intense until a spinning wormhole appeared, humming a futuristic sound.

"Another rift," the black hedgehog muttered.

"What happened?" his friend mused.

"_Pikachu?_"

I stood up, unaware of what they were looking at. "You won't stop me!" I shouted. "I will destroy the Disturbance and save the future!"

The black hedgehog looked at me, perplexed. "You mean Sonic? You want to kill the blue hedgehog?"

"His actions will destroy the future, where I come from," I explained. "Stay out of my –"

"Who told you this?" the hedgehog abruptly interrupted.

I looked at him, confused and caught off-guard. "Wha - What do you mean?"

"It's not complicated," he growled. "Who told you that Sonic would destroy the future?"

I shrugged. "Someone who looks like him," I said, pointing to the black hedgehog's friend.

"Me?" his friend repeated.

"Yes. His name is Mephiles. He told me I had to kill the blue hedgehog to save the future."  
>The black hedgehog clenched his fist. "I knew it."<p>

"Huh?" I looked at him, puzzled.

"I figured Mephiles was behind all this."

"Wait, what?!" I exclaimed. _He knows Mephiles?! How –_

"Yes," he nodded. "I know full well who Mephiles is. Granted, he's mysterious, but I know enough to know that he's not to be trusted."

"Wha –" I stuttered, at a loss for words.

"The solution to your problems isn't killing Sonic," the black hedgehog said gently, eyes softening. "Mephiles knows this, but the truth is in the past." He gestured towards the glowing wormhole in front of us. "Follow me if you want to know the truth." With that, he jumped in. I hesitated, unsure.

"I'd take his word for it."

I turned to look at the person standing before me. "Why?"

"Shadow spent a good effort to find the truth about himself," he explained. "If anyone knows what it means to find truth, it's him."

"_Pika-Pikachu_," his companion nodded.

"What about you?" I asked. "Are you coming, too?"

"Not this time," he shook his head. "I've got other matters to attend to. Plus, I gotta change out of these clothes! Sheesh! I'm getting hot in here!"

I didn't bother listening to anymore. If what Shadow said was true, then I had no choice now but to follow him. Without another thought, I jumped into the wormhole.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6: The Prophecy

When I landed, I found myself right next to Shadow, who stood looking over the expanse. Further investigation showed that we were standing on a small mountain. Dark clouds covered the sky, while the waters raged. White powder was everywhere. Curious, I picked it up and felt it in my hands. It was soft and fragile, but yet it stuck together nicely.

"What is this?" I wondered.

Shadow turned and looked at me, an incredulous expression donning his face when he saw what I was doing. "Are you joking me?!" he exclaimed in shock. "You don't know what snow is?!"

"There are a lot of things I don't know," I shook my head sadly. "My home in the future is a desolate wasteland. That's why I came back in time: to save it."

Shadow's expression softened. "I see," he nodded. "Well, you can play with snow later. We need to stay focused."

"Why, what's –" I started, but a familiar shriek pierced my ears before I could say anything more. I immediately braced myself, but my shock was not diminished by it. "Is that –?!"

Sure enough, it was. Articuno, Zapdos, and Moltres were viciously fighting in the sky. Lightning flared, fire burned, and ice covered the whole of the ground.

"It is!" I exclaimed. "The titans of the air!" I started forward, but a hand pulled me back.

"No, Silver!" he stopped me. "This is the past. If we're not careful, we could change history, and not for the better."

I shuddered and nodded, stepping back. "But we can't just stand back and do nothing!"

"Yes, we can," he pointed towards another island not far off. A group of humans and some Pokemon were over there. One of them suddenly dashed forward, holding his hands up and crying out for the birds to stop. His cries fell on deaf ears.

"What is that idiot doing?!" I exclaimed.

"That 'idiot' is Ash," Shadow growled.

"Huh?"

"The guy you fought earlier before we came here," he explained. I pondered this a moment, then understood, but then I wondered:

"Then didn't I fight him later?"

"Shut up," was all he said in reply.

"Hey, I'm just saying. After all, time is a relevant factor in this –"

"I said shut up!" he snapped.

"What? You don't like troll logic? Well, I guess it –"

"ZIP IT!" Shadow hissed, covering my mouth forcefully. I started to protest, but then something caught my ear: an ethereal, soothing song that carried the weight of ages in it. Suddenly, a massive geyser of water erupted from the sea before us, quickly dissipating to reveal yet another bird that resembled a leviathan. It was breathtakingly beautiful. I was mesmerized by its presence.

"What…" I breathed in awe, slowly removing Shadow's hand from my mouth. "What is that?"

Shadow looked me in the eye. "It's Lugia."

"Lugia?"

"Also known as the Beast of the Sea. It's supposed to be the master of the three birds. If the balance of power shifts, Lugia rises from the sea to restore it."

My eyes widened in realization. "Then...he will stop the fighting?"

"No," Shadow shook his head grimly. "'Alone, it's song will fail.'"

I didn't understand. "What do you mean?"

"Lugia may be more powerful than the birds, but unless it recruits external aid, it cannot hope to quell the fighting."

"But...who can help him? And how?"

"There are three treasures scattered around this area," Shadow explained. "They are the Ice Orb, the Lightning Orb, and the Fire Orb, each on the islands of the same name."

"The Fire Orb!?" I exclaimed.

Shadow looked at me, puzzled. "You know this?"

"My friend Dawn has the Fire Orb back in your time," I explained. "We found it while scouring Eggman's battleship!"

"Then you're on the right path."

"Huh?"

"You see, these three treasures, when assembled, will allow Lugia to stop this madness. But he can't bring them together."

"Then who can?" I asked in exasperation.

Shadow turned back towards the group of humans not far from us as he said his answer: "The Chosen One."

Dead silence hung between us when I heard this. I thought over what Dawn said earlier about the prophecy and how the Chosen One would come when the world was nearing its end. I stepped back in shock, accidently cracking something. I looked down and saw a stone tablet broken in two. Strange inscriptions were written all over it.

"What's this?" I asked, my voice cracking.

Shadow turned and took the tablets, eyes widening. "This...this is it!"

"What? What is it?" I repeated.

"This is the answer I've been looking for!"

"You're losing me, Shadow," I deadpanned.

He looked up at me, excitement in his eyes. "This is the prophecy about the Chosen One that I've been searching for. It may provide the clue that we've both been looking for."

"What clue?"

"A clue about Mephiles' plan," he stated.

"Well, you'll have to read it because I can't," I shrugged.

He nodded and squinted. "It's kinda faded, but I can still make it out:

_Disturb not the harmony of fire, ice or lightning,_

_Lest these titans wreak destruction upon the world in which they clash._

_Though the water's great guardian shall arise to quell the fighting,_

_Alone its song will fail, and thus the earth shall turn to ash._

_O Chosen One, into thine hands bring together all three._

_Their treasures combined tame the Beast of the Sea._

Silence hung over us again as we pondered these words. "Hm," Shadow mused. "This is slightly confusing."

"'Disturb not the harmony of fire, ice, or lightning?'" I repeated. "I can only think of one application for that."

"Articuno," Shadow nodded.

"Zapdos," I followed suit.

"And Moltres," we finished together.

"And the water's great guardian must be Lugia," Shadow went on.

"And alone its song will fail," I mused.

"And thus the earth shall turn to ash?" Shadow breathed.

"Then the world will end before the Chosen One comes," I sighed.

"It appears so," Shadow nodded. "Then let's wait this out and see what happens."

We did just that. Soon we heard the song of Lugia once again, this time played on an ocarina. As the song played, crazy things started happening that I can't quite remember. What I do remember is what the result of it all was: the snow, the sky, and everything out of place was restored to its former harmony. The sight I saw was absolutely breathtaking as the birds and their master flew in harmony, no longer in conflict.

"Was this the fulfillment of the prophecy?" I asked, turning to look at the green sheets beneath me.

"I don't think so," Shadow shook his head. "The world didn't end before the fighting was calmed."

"Either that or we're missing something," I muttered, twisting a sheet of green in my fingers.

"I never miss anything," Shadow muttered to himself. "If I did miss something, I'll do a massive facepalm later."

"Yeah, me too," I shrugged.

"What's with the grass?"

"Huh?"

"You're playing with grass."

I looked at the small green sheet in my hand. "Is that what this is called? Grass?"

"You don't know what grass is?!" He sounded shocked.

"My home was destroyed before I was born," I shook my head. "I've never seen anything that you have: grass, trains, and everything that I've seen...we don't have that in the future. All there is is pain, destruction, and despair."

Shadow just stood there a moment, apparently taking in everything that I was saying. "You've never had anything but that," he breathed in sad amazement. "Coming to the past must've been a big shock."

"Yes, it was," I nodded. "It's all so beautiful. What I would give for a future like this."

I felt a hand on my shoulder and looked at Shadow. "Then you go for it."

"You won't stop me?"

"Just don't try to hurt any of my friends and you'll have all the success in the world."

I nodded. "Then Mephiles really did trick me. So what do I do now?"

"Find the treasures...and the Silver Wing."

"The what?"

"The Silver Wing. It is said that Lugia will come to whoever holds the Silver Wing. With the treasures and Silver Wing in hand, you will be able to quell the fighting and save the future."

A smile graced my face. "Thank you, Shadow."

He nodded. Though he didn't return the smile, I knew he was smiling inside. Don't ask me how; I guess it's just instinct.

"It's time to return," he nodded, holding out a Chaos Emerald. It glowed brightly, and then a small glow appeared in between us, slowly growing more intense until a spinning wormhole appeared, humming a futuristic sound. We jumped in, ready to face the future...and the truth.


	7. Chapter 7

**Sorry to keep you waiting! Let's rock!**

* * *

><p>Chapter 7: Return to Our Time<p>

When I jumped out of the wormhole, I found myself back where I left Shadow's friend some time ago. Or was it just a second ago? No, he was gone. It had to be at least some time ago.

"Silver!"

I started in happiness on hearing the familiar voice. "Dawn!"

"Are you okay?" she asked coming up to me, fear in her blue eyes.

"I'm fine, Dawn," I grinned. "No need to worry!"

"Hey!" she put her hands on her hips. "I thought I copyrighted that!" She then looked surprised. "I've never seen you so happy. What's going on?"

My face turned serious again. "We were wrong about the Disturbance. We were wrong about...um...what's his name? That blue hedgehog…"

"His name is Sonic."

The voice was familiar, but it no longer sounded hostile. I turned to see Shadow's friend standing before me, now dressed much like the other people I'd seen.

"You," I muttered, wondering.

"Dawn was talking to me about your future," he explained.

"What?!" I exclaimed. "Dawn –!?"

"It's okay," she smiled at me. "He can be trusted, right Ash?"

"Right," he nodded.

"As I was saying," I continued, "we were wrong about Sonic. Mephiles lied to us. I still don't know why, but he did."

"Why would he do that?" Dawn wondered.

"And what motivation did he have to even get involved in your future in the first place?" Ash wondered aloud.

There was silence for a moment as we pondered this. "Well, what has Sonic been up to? He's been pursuing Eggman for a while to save Misty."

"Misty?" I perked at that.

"Yeah," Ash nodded. "You think this Mephiles guy wanted to stop him from stopping Eggman?"

"Why would he do that?" Dawn wondered.

"Hm," I wondered, then something hit me. "He has the power to travel through time. What if Eggman will do something to trigger something else that Mephiles wants to happen?"

"Like...the Disturbance of harmony?" Ash quipped.

Silver looked at him in surprise. "You know?"

"You may be from the future, but I'm a few steps ahead of you," he grinned, holding two orbs in his hands: the Lightning Orb and the Ice Orb!"

"What?!" I exclaimed. "How did you get them?!"

"Eggman had them," he explained. "I managed to salvage them, though. You should onto them. You probably need them more than we do right now."

Dawn took them. "Thank you, Ash."

"So, now what?" I wondered.

"Sonic's going to save Misty," Ash explained. "We're going to help."

"Count me in," I nodded, putting my hand out. He clasped it, and energy surged through both of us.

Truth be told, I think it was more like synergy than energy.

* * *

><p>As soon as we came up with a plan, I went off to catch up with Sonic. I found him as he confronted a small horde of Raticate. I wasted no time in showing my intentions by blasting them away with my power. "You look like you're in a hurry."<p>

Sonic cringed on hearing me, and who could blame him? "Silver," he muttered, turning to face me. "Back for more, huh?"

"I guess that's one way of putting it," I shrugged. "Actually, circumstances have changed. You're trying to save Misty, right?"

Sonic's eyes widened. "How – what, now you have mind-reading powers?!"

"No," I shook my head. "That's not the point. I'm trying to save her, too."

"Oh, yeah, very funny," Sonic rolled his eyes. "What, are you my new sidekick, courtesy of SEGA? That's Tails' bid, so I suggest you bail out! Besides, nobody likes you, and your fur is making me hallucinate!"

I was offended. "Hey!" I snapped back. "It's a rebel style! Anyways, I don't have time to bicker with you. I need to save Misty."

"Not a chance," Sonic growled. "She's in my boat, so I suggest you stay out of the way!"

"Sonic, I'm trying to help you," I just decided to spill it. "I know I tried to kill you before, but I was mistaken about who you were. Now I know who our real enemy is, and unless you help me, there's no way we can stop him!"

Sonic looked like he was considering this for a moment, but then he shook his head. "No big. I can stop Eggman all on my own." With that, he took off.

I wasted no time pursuing him. In a few minutes, I managed to catch him in my telekinesis. "Aw, come on!" he groaned. "Really?!"

"I told you, I need your help!" I insisted. "And the truth is, like it or not, you need mine, too!"

"I'll be just fine without you, two-face!" he snapped back. "I know you're manipulating me just so you can double-cross me!"

"You've got it wrong, just like I did!"

"No, I'm pretty sure I –"

"HEY!"

I started on hearing this and turned towards the owner of the sudden voice, who turned out to be none other than Ash.

"Baseball Head?" Sonic exclaimed. "Oh, thank goodness you're here! Would you please do me a favor and get rid of this –"

"Zip it, Sonic," Ash stopped him. "I've had enough of this pointless bickering. Believe me, it gets you nowhere fast." He turned to me. "I told you it was a long-shot, Silver. If Sonic won't help us, then we'll just have to go it on our own."

"Wait, _what_?!" Sonic exclaimed. "What's going on here?!"

"I'd tell you, but you don't seem to be willing to listen," I rolled my eyes. "So I'll let Ash do the talking."

Ash nodded and stepped forward. "Silver thought you were going to cause the destruction of the world," he explained.

"Oh, THERE'S a big surprise!" Sonic retorted. "That's an incredi–I think I'm gonna have a heart attack and DIE from that surprise!"

"I said zip it!" Ash snapped, and he then proceeded to explain everything that went down between us. Sonic soaked all of this in and finally nodded. With a sigh of relief, I let him down.

"A disturbance, hm?" he mused. Then his eyes widened. "'Disturb not the harmony of fire, ice, or lightning,'" he breathed, visibly paling.

"What?" I asked, puzzled. "Is something wrong?" Then something occurred to me. "Oh, come on! My fur should not have that effect on you!"

"HURRY!" Sonic suddenly shouted, running off, leaving us standing there, dumbfounded.

"I guess he still doesn't trust me," I sighed, downcast. "Can't say that I blame him."

"No," Ash shook his head. "I know those words. Something's about to go terribly wrong." He looked me in the eye urgently. "Come on. We've got to catch up to him." With that, we took off.

But if there's one thing I've learned, it's that sometimes, the hero doesn't win. Sometimes, the hero doesn't make it. Sometimes, even a hero can be...too late.

When we caught up to Sonic, he was staring in horror at an explosion in the sky that slowly careened towards a nearby island. I realized instantly what it meant. "Oh no!" I exclaimed. "We were too late!"

"No," Ash clenched his fists. "Not if I can help it!" With that, he ran forward towards the edge of the cliff.

"Ash, wait!"

The next thing we saw was Ash plummeting down the cliff.

"NO!" Sonic screamed. "ASH!"

"SONIC!" he screamed as he fell. "Grab this!" He threw something up. Sonic reached for it, but judging by his expression when he looked up, I could tell he missed it. It fell down with Ash, and they plummeted into the ocean. A large rock, dislodged from Eggman's ship crashing into the island, fell after them.

"Hang on!" I cried, jumping down after them. I desperately searched for any signs of life, but all I found was a red cap floating on the surface, along with a bit of blood. I stared in shock and floated back up sadly. When Sonic saw my face, he felt more pain than I did.

"No," he whispered. "It can't be...not Ash."

"That rock fell on top of him and killed him instantly," I explained.

"What about the Silver Wing?"

_So that's what it was._ "It's gone. I couldn't find it."

Sonic looked up as an explosion from Eggman's ship shook the island it crashed into, followed by a horrid shrieking sound that I recognized all too well: "Moltres."

"No," Sonic clenched his fists, falling to his knees. "How could this happen? Ash...Misty...please, no!"

For a moment, we remained still and did nothing. I just stood there in disbelief while Sonic stayed on the ground, pounding his fists in anger and sadness and doing everything he could to hold back his anguished sobs.

"I guess fate doesn't want to change," I sighed. Sonic looked up, tears falling down his face. "The world's gonna turn to ash."

"We can't give up," he shook his head. "But what can we do?"

I clenched my fist, trying to think of a solution. Then an idea struck me.

"Wait a minute," I said. "We can change this."

"Huh?"

I looked him in the eye. "We can change history!"

"Change history," Sonic blinked a moment as he processed this, then he wiped his tears away and stood up. "I get it," he nodded. "We go back in time to stop Eggman from sealing Misty's fate." He pulled out a Chaos Emerald.

"Chaos Control!"

With that, a small glow appeared in between us, slowly growing more intense until a spinning wormhole appeared, humming a futuristic sound. Sonic looked back at me one last time. "I'm going to change Misty's fate, and that in turn should change Ash's fate...and your future."

"Good luck, Sonic," I replied.

"Thank you, Silver," the blue blur replied. With that, he jumped into the time-space rift, leaving me behind. I looked on as the fire bird emerged from the wreckage of the island, beginning its reign of terror. Not wanting to witness any more, I jumped into the wormhole, ready to finish what I started.

* * *

><p><strong>Next: A futuristic finale!<strong>


	8. Chapter 8

**This is the beginning of one of my favorite battle scenes that I've written. I hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed writing it!**

* * *

><p>Chapter 8: Mephiles' Revenge<p>

In theory, Sonic saving Misty from Eggman would have changed my time. But when I jumped out of the wormhole, the same sight that I left behind to save my world greeted me once again, as bleak as ever.

"What?" I wondered in astonishment. "But...did Sonic fail?"

"Silver!"

I turned to my companion as she ran towards me. "Dawn! What happened? Why is everything destroyed?!"

"What do you mean?" she asked, puzzled. "We went back to the past to eradicate the cause, but we were wrong. How do you suddenly not know?"

"Wait," I started, "you mean..._nothing's changed?!_"

"Does that bother you?"

I clenched my fist, thinking hard. _How did this happen this time? Unless Sonic failed...but if he succeeded –_

"We need to get back to Indigo Plateau," I suddenly snapped. "The database should give us the information we need."

Dawn nodded, and we set out quickly.

* * *

><p>"This makes no sense!" I cried as I ran through the database. Dawn read it to me. "This didn't just happen! This database has it wrong!"<p>

"Well, it wasn't thanks to Misty's death," Dawn noted. "That's gotta mean something good, right?"

"I guess so," I shrugged. "But if Sonic really did succeed, then what caused the birds to run amok?! Something had to!"

"Tsk tsk, Silver. Still so naive. I guess changing the past for the better hasn't done much for you, has it?"

I recognized the voice instantly, but I no longer welcomed it in my ears. "Mephiles," I growled, turning around to face him.

"What? Upset to see an old friend?"

"You're not our friend," Dawn snapped.

"Well, fine then. Acquaintance, I suppose? In any case, I told you the key to saving your future was killing the blue hedgehog, did I not?"

"Shut up!" I shouted, shocking him. "I know you lied to me about Sonic. I know that he isn't the true Disturbance!"

"And yet your world remains in destruction because you failed in your mission. Tell me, how do you explain the fact that everything is the same as when you left it?"

"It's not," I growled, pointing at the screen. "Sonic succeeded in saving Misty from death. Something else caused this. I know it."

"And this time," Dawn nodded, smiling as she pulled out the three orbs, "we know how to stop it."

"That's right," I nodded. "We need to get to Shamouti Island."

"What?!" Mephiles exclaimed. I was surprised to see him so fearful. "How – where did you get those?!"

"An old friend gave them to us," Dawn smirked.

"A _really_ old friend," I added.

"You insolent fools," Mephiles growled, dark energy glowing on his hands. "You really think you have any real chance of victory?"

"Oh, we don't think...we _know_," I retorted. "Just try and stop us!"

Mephiles chuckled sinisterly. "Oh, I will. Believe me, Silver..._I will_." With that, he disappeared.

"Come on, Dawn," I nodded to her. "Let's finish this once and for all!"

With that, we started on our long and perilous journey to Shamouti Island. The seas had dried up long ago, so our trek was across fire-stained, dry land. It took us a while, but after several hours, we finally reached our destination.

"There's the monument!" Dawn pointed to it.

"Let's go!" I shouted excitedly.

"Hold it right there!"

We turned suddenly and saw Mephiles standing right behind us. "Don't think it will be that easy. You can try all you want to save the world." A sudden blast of power knocked Dawn down, the three orbs flying off of her.

"Dawn!" I exclaimed.

"But in the end," Mephiles sneered, "you will always lose." I rushed to grab the Lightning Orb, but Mephiles stepped in front of me. "Going somewhere?"

"Outta my way!" I shouted. I was closer than ever to saving the future, and I wasn't about to lose now. I unleashed a telekinetic blast, but he caught it in his hands with no hesitation. It pulsated for a moment as I looked on in shock, then he threw it at me, knocking me to the ground. Weariness took me down as I struggled to get up.

"Poor Silver," he mocked, standing around me. "Trapped in a never-ending cycle of life and death. Where will it end?"

I looked up in disbelief. "Why?" I groaned. "Why are you doing this? What can you gain from destroying my world?"

"But I didn't destroy your world," he sneered, pointing to the sky as three shrieks pierced our ears. "They did."

"Then why are you stopping me?" I asked, still weary, though my strength was gradually returning at a slow but steady pace.

Mephiles merely chuckled. "The only way to achieve my goal is to have power: power to achieve it and power to stop those who would stand in my way, including you."

"What goal is it that I'm stopping?" I asked.

"That's none of your business," Mephiles sneered. "But when I have achieved it, then you will understand. For now, though, you cannot be allowed to save the future."

"Don't think...it will be that easy," I grunted, finally getting on my hands and knees as I slowly looked up. "I would rather die than leave the future in this state."

Mephiles chuckled malevolently at this. "To be honest, I was hoping you'd say that." Energy blazed on his hands. "Now I have an excuse for why I had to kill you."

I shuddered. My strength was still not recovered, and I had nowhere to run. I closed my eyes in fear.

"NO!"

The blow never came, and I looked up and saw Mephiles fall facedown. I looked up, my strength returning. "Dawn!"

"We have to get the treasures!" she exclaimed. "They're coming!"

I nodded and stood up, slowly walking over to the Lightning Orb. I picked it up and brought it to the shrine, placing it in its place. Dawn brought the Fire Orb and placed it likewise. But the Ice Orb remained hidden.

"Where did it go?" Dawn wondered.

"Looking for this?"

We turned and saw Mephiles holding the Ice Orb in his fist, a malevolent grin on his face.

"Hand it over," I growled. "We don't want a fight."

"Not a chance," he sneered as the birds congregated behind him, to our horror. "I journeyed to the future to seal you away so that you wouldn't interfere with my plans. Now I shall finish what I started!"


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9: The Legend Comes to Life

"Articuno! Use Ice Beam!" Mephiles cried. Articuno obeyed and charged up an attack. Dawn and I ran to the side, narrowly avoiding the attack. We stared up in horror.

"What are we gonna do!" I cried. "We can't take on all three birds at once!"

"We have to try!" Dawn replied, whipping out all her Pokeballs. "Quilava! We need your help!" Her Pokemon leapt out of its Pokeball, crying out its name. "Now, use Flame Wheel on Articuno!"

Quilava curled into a ball, flamed surrounding it, and it flew towards Articuno. But Moltres flew in the way and took the hit, rendering the attack ineffective.

"Take this, Zapdos!" I shouted, using a mind-bending trick on the electric bird. But Articuno rammed into me, causing me to lose my grip on the bird's brain.

"Quilava! Rock Throw!" Dawn cried. Rocks flew forward towards Moltres, but Zapdos took the hit. Though it was painful, the legendary titan of the air was hardly fazed.

"You're no match for me!" Mephiles laughed malevolently. "For all of us...HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAA!"

"We need another strategy," I grunted, clenching my fists.

"Let's try distracting one bird while attacking another," she said, pulling out another Pokeball. "Piplup! Let's go!" Her signature Pokemon came out, ready to fight.

"How cute," Mephiles smirked. "Would you like a pebble?"

"Try this on for cute!" Dawn shouted in anger, throwing another ball. "Togekiss, take the stage!"

"Take the stage?" I wondered, scratching my head. "That's a new one."

"I've heard it somewhere," Dawn shrugged. "I don't remember where."

"Before you die, you will suffer!" Mephiles roared.

"Not today!" I shouted back, grasping Zapdos' mind once again. Moltres flew in to intervene, but Togekiss intercepted it, catching it off-guard. Seizing the opportunity, I charged a quick but powerful telekinetic blast and threw it at the ice bird, paralyzing it.

"Score!" I cheered.

"Impressive," Mephiles muttered as Articuno rose back into the air, flapping in a jagged manner. "You managed to inflict damage. But your little game ends here. Moltres! Burn them to a crisp!"

Moltres threw its head back, a massive blast of fire forming in its mouth. "Watch out, Silver!" Dawn cried. I jumped back with her, but Piplup leapt forward and charged a water attack.

"What, are you going to use Water Gun?" Mephiles chuckled, amused. "How cute. Moltres, kill the penguin."

Moltres unleashed its attack, which careened rapidly towards Piplup. "NO!" Dawn screamed in horror as the fire consumed it. "PIPLUP!" Tears brimmed in her eyes.

Suddenly, the fire blasted away as a massive jet of water blasted it back. Everyone was shocked by this.

"What?!" Mephiles exclaimed. "Hydro Pump?! But how –?!"

"Piplup?!" Dawn exclaimed in amazement. The powerful water attack swiftly overcame Moltres' attack, consuming it and dealing significant damage. No sooner had the attacks faded than Piplup fainted, exhausted from the attack. Dawn rushed up to it, cradling it in her arms. "Piplup," she whispered. "That was...incredible. You sacrificed yourself to save us. I'm so proud of you."

"_Pip_," Piplup uttered weakly. Dawn returned it to its Pokeball.

"Impressive," Mephiles clapped in mock applause. "But I'm afraid this is as far as you'll go. Zapdos! Finish them off!"

Zapdos charged a powerful electric attack. Dawn, thinking quickly, whipped out another Pokeball and chucked it, letting out a mammoth Pokemon.

"Dawn!" I cried in shock. "What are you doing?!"

"Neutralizing the attack! Trust me!" The electric attack was headed straight for Mamoswine!

"IT'S GONNA GET HURT!" I shouted. She didn't respond, and the attack hit. I stared in horror as the electricity consumed it.

But when the dust cleared, Mamoswine was unharmed. "What –?!"

"Ground types aren't affected by electric attacks," Dawn winked at me.

"Gee, I feel stupid," I shrugged.

"Now, Mamoswine!" she cried. "Use Blizzard!"

With that, Mamoswine unleashed a massive snowstorm that consumed Zapdos and the other birds. When the storm settled, Zapdos was completely frozen solid. Articuno and Moltres were still raring for a fight, while Mephiles stared at us, a hate-filled snarl on his face.

"That does it," he rumbled angrily, a menacing dark aura surrounding him. "I'm done playing nice. I'll tear you to pieces! Articuno! Moltres! Destroy them!"

Articuno and Moltres began charging their ultimate attacks. Dawn and I looked at each other in horror. There would be no escape this time. The attack would not be dodgable, and none of our Pokemon would take the hit.

_There's only one way to stop it_ I thought. _It's a real long-shot, but it's our only chance_. With that, I stepped forward as their attacks neared completion of charge.

"Silver!" Dawn cried in fright.

"Dawn," I looked at her, a sad look in my eye. "If I don't make it out of this, you probably will. Take care of yourself."

"Silver," was all she whispered, a tear falling from her eye. With that, I turned towards the birds, my hands glowing with telekinetic energy. Summoning all my power, I prepared what would probably be my final act.

The attack came, but before it hit, I suddenly generated a massive force field surrounding Dawn, me, and the shrine. The attack pressed on, but so did my field.

"I...will...not...give...UP!" I screamed as the field battled ferociously against the onslaught. The stalemate was unbearable, and it rapidly took its toll on my strength. Soon, I was at the breaking point, and I would have fallen if I hadn't remembered what was at stake. I pushed myself even more, not willing to lose. My muscles were starting to ache now, and my legs started to slide, but I grounded them again. My eyes remained shut so tight, they wouldn't have opened at my command. My muscles began to burn, but still I persisted. The pain was just getting worse, and I started to wonder if this is what it felt like to give birth. My muscles were screaming at me now, and my legs were wobbly as my feet tried with all their might to slip. Tears fell from my eyes as I fought against the field. I wasn't sure how much longer I could hold. My full strength was almost gone, and still I persisted.

Then it stopped. My eyes shot open as I saw the birds slowly fall to the ground, exhausted. An explosion blasted Mephiles back, knocking him out. No sooner were they defeated than my weariness consumed me, and I collapsed to the ground and fainted.

* * *

><p>What happened next, I recall only because Dawn told me about it. She breathed a moment, relieved that it was all over, but then she turned to my limp form.<p>

"Silver!" she cried, rushing to me. "Oh no," she whispered, tears brimming in her eyes. "Silver...please, wake up." She shook me slightly. "Silver, please! Don't do this to me! Silver, come on! Please!"

I don't remember anything of what happened next, but somehow my eyes shot open, and I slowly stood up, still weary, and slowly walked over to Mephiles' weak form, taking the Ice Orb from him.

"Silver," Dawn said, holding her hand out to take the orb, but I stopped her.

"Don't stop me," I said. "This is something I've gotta do." With that, I walked forward, stumbling as I went, and finally placed the Ice Orb into the shrine with the other two. Then, I fell to my knees and fainted again.

Dawn stepped forward and watched as a pedestal rose from the ground. She saw a small ocarina on it, and something about it drew her to it. Slowly, she picked it up, stood before the shrine, and began to play.

The pillars around us began to glow in rhythm with what she played. She didn't notice, however, as she was too busy playing a serene tune. Magic filled the air as the birds behind us, once defeated, suddenly revived, but their eyes no longer spewed hatred or destruction. No, their eyes exuded peace and reconciliation as the dark sky opened up to reveal its true colors: white and blue. The ground, barren and destroyed by fire, began to teem with life once again as the madness of destruction that had ravaged our world for so long finally departed forever. Though we were far from civilization, the sound of people cheering with newfound hope could be heard for miles. Pokemon soared through the skies, swam through the restored waters, and returned to their homes.

At last, Dawn finished playing, and fell to her knees, sobbing in joy. As she did so, my eyes opened once again. I saw her and was worried a moment.

"Did we...fail?" I asked hoarsely.

She looked at me. Though her eyes were stained with tears, they were filled with joy. "No, Silver. We did it..._You_ did it. Look around."

"Unh," I grunted, looking around. The desolation was gone, replaced only by beauty. My eyes widened in amazement. "We...we did do it, didn't we? We did it!"

"We saved the future," Dawn smiled, embracing me. I embraced her back, relieved that it was finally over. The battle was finished.

"Ungh," a familiar voice moaned. We turned and saw Mephiles struggling to his feet. "I...I don't understand. How did you manage to defeat me? My...my power...is absolute...how –"

"Yeah, it is, isn't it?" I shrugged, smirking. "You truly are the most powerful foe I've ever faced. So I can only think of one explanation for how we defeated you."

"And what...is that?"

Dawn and I grinned at each other. "A glitch," we said simultaneously. With that, I picked him up with my power and threw him to the sky, never to be seen again.

Or so I thought.

We looked to the sky, smiling as we saw the birds finally back in harmony. As we looked, we saw another bird join them.

"What is that?" Dawn wondered.

"It could only be one thing," I smiled. "Lugia."

"The Beast of the Sea."

As we stood there, marvelling at the new world that lay before us, a tear fell from my eye. It was hard to believe, but we actually did it. We restored the future to its rightful beauty. At long last, all was at peace.

Or so we thought.

* * *

><p><strong>Two down, one to go, then on to the epic finale!<strong>

**In case it's not clear, the song Dawn was playing on the ocarina was "The Legend Comes to Life" from Pokemon: The Movie 2000. It's one of the most popular Pokemon anime songs, particularly from the movies, and it's truly a masterpiece. In fact, I was actually playing it while writing that paragraph where Dawn played the tune. For everything before that, I was listening to "Iblis: Phase 3" from Sonic 06.**

**Anyways, what did you think? The ending kinda stunk if you ask me, but it could have been worse. I thought the battle was one of my best yet; what did you think?**

**The story's not over! ****To read the full story, read through "Sonic and the Silver Wing" and "Shadow and the Dark Aura Master." Then, stay tuned for the epic last story!**


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